A survey by the Association of Scientific Researchers (APqC) states that the State Secretariat for Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil) has 123 researchers in action and another 158 unfilled vacancies. The data was compiled from the Official Gazette.
The Tarcísio de Freitas (Republican) administration refutes the data and says that the department has 144 researchers, with 166 vacant positions.
The employees work in botany and geology laboratories, where research is carried out on climate, water availability and the production of risk maps for slopes and landslides.
The last competition for researchers, says the government, was held more than 20 years ago, in 2005.
For Helena Dutra Lutgens, president of APqC and researcher at the Forestry Institute, the scenario is worrying, especially with reservoir levels lower than those compared to the 2014 crisis.
“The neglect has worsened over the years, weakening research and exposing society to a scientific blackout in the midst of a climate emergency, including water scarcity caused by prolonged periods of drought and changes in the rainfall regime”, she states.
The Tarcísio administration states that it restructured the research career in October 2025 to make it more attractive and is studying the possibility of new competitions
“The objective is to fill 98 vacancies in priority areas (biodiversity, water resources, climate change), with the notice expected to be published in 2026”, states the ministry.
The government also states that, in addition to civil servants, it has partnerships with institutions from other states and the universities USP and UFSCar.
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